Justo Jose de Urquiza

Justo Jose de Urquiza y Garcia (18 October 1801-11 April 1870) was the President of the Argentine Confederation from 1852 to 1861, seizing power from the bluff gaucho Juan Manuel de Rosas in the Battle of Caseros with aid from the Brazilian Empire and Uruguay. Urquiza was in turn overthrown by Bartolome Mitre after the Battle of Pavon in 1861. He was murdered in 1870.

Biography
Urquiza was born in Entre Rios Province in the Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata, and became the Governor from 1842 to 1852 and 1868 to 1870. A friend and confidant of dictator Juan Manuel de Rosas, he later reached a disagreement over plans for a new constitution, and Urquiza gained the support of the Brazilian Empire and Uruguay. In the Battle of Caseros, the Coalition won against Rosas' army, many of whom surrendered before the fighting began.

Urquiza became the third president of the Argentine Confederation in the aftermath of the battle, and was known for his reforms that he placed upon Argentina. He implemented public education, increased foreign relations, and began the construction of railroads. The only factor that hindered his modernization of Argentina was the secession of Buenos Aires from the confederation, and although he defeated the rebels in 1859, he was overthrown in 1861 by the forces of Bartolome Mitre. He retired to his home in Entre Rios until he was assassinated by the forces of Ricardo Lopez Jordan, a caudillo who was rebelling against Buenos Aires's rule.